Donald Trump, the President of the United States, reacted strongly to the European Union's decision to make Canada the first "partner member" of this 27-member union, describing the move as "hostile."
Threat of Heavy Tariffs
Trump warned in his statements that if this decision is approved, Washington will impose heavier tariffs against Europe. He stated, "If the Europeans' intentions are positive, there is no problem, but if there are bad intentions, we will impose very heavy tariffs against Europe and may even halt trade with this union in some areas."
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Describing Canada as a Bad Trade Partner
The President of the United States also called the possibility of Canada joining the European Union "ridiculous" and described the country as "a very bad trade partner." These remarks came after Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, announced the EU's readiness to elevate relations with Canada to "the highest possible level."
Von der Leyen referred to the cooperation between the two sides in areas such as artificial intelligence, climate change, and Arctic security. Meanwhile, Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, had previously announced Ottawa's efforts to create a "security and economic coalition" with Europe, without full membership in the union.
These developments come at a time when Canada is engaged in a trade war with the United States, with about three-quarters of the country's exports going to the U.S. market. Trump's remarks seem to have the potential for significant impacts on the trade relations between the two countries.
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